Despite heavy mid-afternoon showers in western and north-eastern parishes, scores of volunteers turned out on May 23 for Labour Day projects in the parishes of St. Ann and Trelawny.
Activities were focused on the beautification of town centres and markets, painting of police stations and the cleaning of drains.
In St. Ann, the parish project was the cleaning of the Alexandria Market.
Acting Secretary-Manager for the St. Ann Parish Council, Claudia Carter, told JIS News that she was happy with the large turnout of volunteers for the project.
She said the work involved the removal garbage and other debris, which could become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
“We are giving this place a thorough cleaning so as to give the people of Alexandria a well-deserved commercial facility,” she said.
The St. Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital was also given a well-needed facelift on Labour Day.
Work got underway at 8:00 a.m., with scores of volunteers from corporate and civic entities carrying out cleaning, painting and repairs to sections of the facility.
The agencies represented included: Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), Riu Ocho Rios Hotel, Gran Bahia Principe Hotel, Jamaica Public Service, Richmond Estate Citizens’ Association, and Courts Jamaica Limited.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hospital, Leo Garel, told JIS News that among the areas spruced up were the waiting area in the Outpatient Department, and the examination rooms where patients are seen.
Mr. Garel expressed gratitude for the assistance, adding that “the spirit of volunteerism is indeed alive and well.”
“Words cannot express how thankful we are for this kind of assistance,” he added.
Chairperson for the Runaway Bay Chapter of the JHTA, Vana Taylor, said the entity was happy to support the activity.
“This facility is about saving lives and is the best we have in the region. All the team members you see here today are excited about doing all we can to give the place a facelift,” she said.
Over in Trelawny, volunteers turned out to work on the health centre in Albert Town as well as the cleaning of drains in the Compound and Water Lane areas of Falmouth.
“Activities started as early as 6:00 a.m. in Falmouth,” Mayor Garth Wilkinson told JIS News. “The rain did not deter the workers and we are really grateful to all the volunteers for their assistance,” he added.
Work was also done at the Falmouth, Clark’s Town and Wait-a-Bit police stations, and pedestrian crossings were marked in a number of districts.